SPIEGEL ONLINE - International - Agriculturehttp://www.spiegel.de
Daily news, analysis and opinion from Europe's leading newsmagazine and Germany's top news Web site.enFri, 09 Dec 2016 18:56:55 +0100Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:56:55 +0100SPIEGEL ONLINEhttp://www.spiegel.de
http://www.spiegel.de/static/sys/logo_120x61.gifMiracle Crop: India's Quest to End World Hungerhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/world/india-experiments-with-pearl-millet-to-end-world-hunger-a-973504.html#ref=rss
Over one third of humanity is undernourished. Now a group of scientists are experimenting with specially-bred crops, and hoping to launch a new Green Revolution -- but controversy is brewing. Mon, 16 Jun 2014 10:29:24 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/india-experiments-with-pearl-millet-to-end-world-hunger-a-973504.htmlOver one third of humanity is undernourished. Now a group of scientists are experimenting with specially-bred crops, and hoping to launch a new Green Revolution -- but controversy is brewing. ]]>Digital Dairy: Robotic Milk Production Takes Overhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/dairy-farming-in-europe-effiency-paramount-as-eu-quotas-expire-a-954750.html#ref=rss
Smaller dairy farms in Germany are rapidly disappearing, and with EU quotas on milk production set to expire next year, the process is likely to accelerate. The only way to survive is to turn cows into machines and keep them away from the meadow.Fri, 21 Feb 2014 16:41:15 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/dairy-farming-in-europe-effiency-paramount-as-eu-quotas-expire-a-954750.htmlSmaller dairy farms in Germany are rapidly disappearing, and with EU quotas on milk production set to expire next year, the process is likely to accelerate. The only way to survive is to turn cows into machines and keep them away from the meadow.]]>Deceptive Labeling: Brussels Plans Tougher Organic Food Ruleshttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/eu-commission-plans-tighter-rules-on-organic-food-sector-a-943461.html#ref=rss
The European Commission plans to tighten rules on the booming organic food sector due to concerns that many products aren't as pure as claimed. More rigorous checks are needed and loopholes must be removed, says a draft paper seen by SPIEGEL. Tue, 14 Jan 2014 17:15:24 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/eu-commission-plans-tighter-rules-on-organic-food-sector-a-943461.htmlThe European Commission plans to tighten rules on the booming organic food sector due to concerns that many products aren't as pure as claimed. More rigorous checks are needed and loopholes must be removed, says a draft paper seen by SPIEGEL. ]]>Land Grab: Foreign Firms Drive Cambodians from Farmshttp://www.spiegel.de/international/business/foreign-companies-are-taking-farmlands-away-from-cambodians-a-935801.html#ref=rss
Each year, foreign agricultural corporations deprive thousands of Cambodian farmers of their fields -- with the government's help. Human rights groups claim German taxpayer money is used to fund a program that benefits land grabbers. Wed, 27 Nov 2013 13:12:00 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/foreign-companies-are-taking-farmlands-away-from-cambodians-a-935801.htmlEach year, foreign agricultural corporations deprive thousands of Cambodian farmers of their fields -- with the government's help. Human rights groups claim German taxpayer money is used to fund a program that benefits land grabbers. ]]>Uphill Battle: New Machine Could Save German Vineyardshttp://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/steeply-sloped-german-vineyards-hope-technology-can-save-them-a-935752.html#ref=rss
Vineyards built on dizzyingly steep hillsides have been a part of German viticulture for centuries, but high labor costs are threatening them with extinction. A group of university engineers is hoping their new technology will save the industry.Tue, 26 Nov 2013 17:56:32 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/steeply-sloped-german-vineyards-hope-technology-can-save-them-a-935752.htmlCutting Antibiotics: Denmark Leads Way in Healthier Pig Farminghttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/danish-pig-farmers-reduce-antibiotics-to-prevent-drug-resistance-a-933344.html#ref=rss
Many tons of antibiotics are administered every year to chickens and pigs in Europe, a trend that encourages the rise of drug-resistant microbes. But Denmark has shown how farmers can be made to abandon this policy of dangerous over-medication.Wed, 13 Nov 2013 17:36:00 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/danish-pig-farmers-reduce-antibiotics-to-prevent-drug-resistance-a-933344.htmlMany tons of antibiotics are administered every year to chickens and pigs in Europe, a trend that encourages the rise of drug-resistant microbes. But Denmark has shown how farmers can be made to abandon this policy of dangerous over-medication.]]>Factory Farming: The True Price of a Pork Chop http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/analysis-of-the-hidden-cost-of-the-german-meat-industry-a-929251.html#ref=rss
Germany slaughters 58 million pigs a year and has built an efficient meat industry second only to the US in pork exports. Its optimized breeding, feeding and killing system churns out wondrously cheap cutlets -- but at a hidden cost to the environment and our health. Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:18:00 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/analysis-of-the-hidden-cost-of-the-german-meat-industry-a-929251.htmlGermany slaughters 58 million pigs a year and has built an efficient meat industry second only to the US in pork exports. Its optimized breeding, feeding and killing system churns out wondrously cheap cutlets -- but at a hidden cost to the environment and our health. ]]>Ethical Farming: Germany Ponders the Super Chickenhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/lohmann-dual-breed-of-super-chicken-could-cut-down-on-chick-culling-a-927902.html#ref=rss
Every year, millions of male chicks are discarded because of the demands of industrial chicken farming. Now a German company has engineered a new breed that could solve the problem -- but it comes with drawbacks of its own. Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:05:00 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/lohmann-dual-breed-of-super-chicken-could-cut-down-on-chick-culling-a-927902.htmlGolden Calves: Farmers Hungry for Luxury Beefhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/german-farmers-seek-fortune-in-luxury-wagyu-beef-a-917957.html#ref=rss
Wagyu beef is the most expensive meat in the world, fetching prices of up to 600 euros per kilogram. Long found exclusively in Japan, the wagyu breed is now spreading across the globe. And German farmers are after a piece of the pie.Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:04:00 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/german-farmers-seek-fortune-in-luxury-wagyu-beef-a-917957.htmlWagyu beef is the most expensive meat in the world, fetching prices of up to 600 euros per kilogram. Long found exclusively in Japan, the wagyu breed is now spreading across the globe. And German farmers are after a piece of the pie.]]>Bow, Arrow, Facebook: Brazilian Tribes Fight for Their Landhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/world/indigenous-tribes-in-brazil-rebel-against-farmers-and-government-a-917631.html#ref=rss
Indigenous peoples in Brazil have lost their patience. Promised more land decades ago, they have recently begun forcing the issue by occupying farms and ranches. The government of President Dilma Rousseff has taken sides with the farmers' lobby.Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:57:32 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/indigenous-tribes-in-brazil-rebel-against-farmers-and-government-a-917631.htmlIndigenous peoples in Brazil have lost their patience. Promised more land decades ago, they have recently begun forcing the issue by occupying farms and ranches. The government of President Dilma Rousseff has taken sides with the farmers' lobby.]]>EU Subsidies Lost: Cameron Hijacks Summit with Rebate Spathttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/uk-prime-minister-cameron-insists-on-british-rebate-at-eu-summit-a-908314.html#ref=rss
The European Union summit on Thursday night was supposed to be a demonstration of European harmony -- until British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived. He insisted that the UK budget rebate go untouched, launching hours of pointless debate.Fri, 28 Jun 2013 11:01:00 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/uk-prime-minister-cameron-insists-on-british-rebate-at-eu-summit-a-908314.htmlThe European Union summit on Thursday night was supposed to be a demonstration of European harmony -- until British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived. He insisted that the UK budget rebate go untouched, launching hours of pointless debate.]]>Red Gold: Saffron Cooperative Thrives amid Greek Crisishttp://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/saffron-farming-cooperative-thrives-in-greece-despite-crisis-a-893527.html#ref=rss
As the economic crisis ravages their country, a community of Greek farmers is prospering. Their cooperative specializes in saffron, the world's most expensive spice, which is keeping the community afloat and attracting global attention.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:30:48 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/saffron-farming-cooperative-thrives-in-greece-despite-crisis-a-893527.htmlAs the economic crisis ravages their country, a community of Greek farmers is prospering. Their cooperative specializes in saffron, the world's most expensive spice, which is keeping the community afloat and attracting global attention.]]>Caught in the Cold: Long Winter's Grip Chokes German Economyhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/business/long-winter-harming-german-economy-a-892983.html#ref=rss
Winter's hold on Germany lasted longer than usual this year, taking its toll not just on the moods of residents, but also on a number of economic sectors. Construction, agriculture, service and retail are all suffering, and experts warn the effects could be long-term. <i>By SPIEGEL Staff</i>
Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:28:16 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/long-winter-harming-german-economy-a-892983.htmlWinter's hold on Germany lasted longer than usual this year, taking its toll not just on the moods of residents, but also on a number of economic sectors. Construction, agriculture, service and retail are all suffering, and experts warn the effects could be long-term. By SPIEGEL Staff
]]>Abattoir Alternative: Are Guns More Humane than Slaughterhouses?http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-farm-tests-shooting-as-alternative-to-slaughterhouses-a-892076.html#ref=rss
The experience of dying at a slaughterhouse is "an enormous ordeal" for cattle. A farm in northern Germany is proposing an alternative: shooting the livestock in the places they live. Many believe the method provides a stress-free death for the animals. Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:57:25 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-farm-tests-shooting-as-alternative-to-slaughterhouses-a-892076.html'Land Grabbing': Foreign Investors Buy Up Third World Farmlandhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/world/foreign-investors-are-buying-up-farmland-in-third-world-a-884306.html#ref=rss
Foreign investors are buying or leasing vast amounts of farmland in Third World countries to profit from surging demand for food crops as a result of rapid population growth. "Land grabbing" amounts to a new form of colonialism that often runs counter to the interests of locals. Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:36:41 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/foreign-investors-are-buying-up-farmland-in-third-world-a-884306.htmlForeign investors are buying or leasing vast amounts of farmland in Third World countries to profit from surging demand for food crops as a result of rapid population growth. "Land grabbing" amounts to a new form of colonialism that often runs counter to the interests of locals. ]]>Farm Wars: EU Grapples with Costs of Subsidizing Agriculturehttp://www.spiegel.de/international/business/european-union-debates-environmental-costs-of-agriculture-subsidies-a-881447.html#ref=rss
European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos wants to reform Europe's agricultural policy, but resistance from the farming lobby threatens to derail his plans. It will be to the detriment of citizens, who are expected to pay for a highly subsidized industry that is harmful to the environment.Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:21:48 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/european-union-debates-environmental-costs-of-agriculture-subsidies-a-881447.htmlEuropean Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos wants to reform Europe's agricultural policy, but resistance from the farming lobby threatens to derail his plans. It will be to the detriment of citizens, who are expected to pay for a highly subsidized industry that is harmful to the environment.]]>Truffle Paradise in Southern Germany: Botanists Uncover Culinary Treasureshttp://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/botanists-hope-to-turn-germany-into-truffel-exporting-nation-a-873438.html#ref=rss
Two researchers have discovered large numbers of truffles in southwestern Germany. They would like to see the country join France, Italy and Spain in becoming an exporter of the delicacy, which is highly sought after by gourmets. They say conditions in many parts of the country are prime for cultivating the fungus.Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:11:00 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/botanists-hope-to-turn-germany-into-truffel-exporting-nation-a-873438.htmlTwo researchers have discovered large numbers of truffles in southwestern Germany. They would like to see the country join France, Italy and Spain in becoming an exporter of the delicacy, which is highly sought after by gourmets. They say conditions in many parts of the country are prime for cultivating the fungus.]]>Monoculture for the Holidays: Christmas Trees Replace Forests as Crop of Choicehttp://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/christmas-trees-replace-forests-as-crop-of-choice-in-german-state-a-873628.html#ref=rss
Environmental campaigners in Germany are up in arms because increasing areas of woodland are being switched to the cultivation of Christmas trees, which is far more lucrative than normal forests. Now a state government wants to limit the trend despite accusations that it is axing a centuries-old tradition. Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:20:51 +0100http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/christmas-trees-replace-forests-as-crop-of-choice-in-german-state-a-873628.htmlEnvironmental campaigners in Germany are up in arms because increasing areas of woodland are being switched to the cultivation of Christmas trees, which is far more lucrative than normal forests. Now a state government wants to limit the trend despite accusations that it is axing a centuries-old tradition. ]]>Corn-Mania: Biogas Boom in Germany Leads to Modern-Day Land Grabhttp://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/biogas-subsidies-in-germany-lead-to-modern-day-land-grab-a-852575.html#ref=rss
Creating energy from corn once seemed like a revolutionary idea in Germany. But subsidies for the biogas industry have led to entire regions of the country being covered by the crop, and investors are eagerly waiting for local farmers' land to go for sale. Some of those farmers who lease their land say they have been "ruined."Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:21:42 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/biogas-subsidies-in-germany-lead-to-modern-day-land-grab-a-852575.htmlCreating energy from corn once seemed like a revolutionary idea in Germany. But subsidies for the biogas industry have led to entire regions of the country being covered by the crop, and investors are eagerly waiting for local farmers' land to go for sale. Some of those farmers who lease their land say they have been "ruined."]]>The Cost of Hunger: Drought Only One Factor Behind High Food Priceshttp://www.spiegel.de/international/business/drought-not-the-only-factor-driving-up-agricultural-prices-a-851068.html#ref=rss
The severe drought in the US has been blamed the rising prices of agricultural commodities. But that is only part of the story: Biofuels, financial speculation and changing dietary habits are also playing a role. The global food supply faces pressure from all sides. <i>By SPIEGEL Staff</i>
Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:36:06 +0200http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/drought-not-the-only-factor-driving-up-agricultural-prices-a-851068.htmlThe severe drought in the US has been blamed the rising prices of agricultural commodities. But that is only part of the story: Biofuels, financial speculation and changing dietary habits are also playing a role. The global food supply faces pressure from all sides. By SPIEGEL Staff
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